Efficacy in Deep Vein Thrombosis Prevention With Extended Mechanical Compression Device Therapy and Prophylactic Aspirin Following Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Randomized Control Trial.

BACKGROUND: Aspirin at 325 mg twice daily is now included as a nationally approved venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis protocol for low-risk total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients. The purpose of this study is to examine whether there is a difference in deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurrence after a limited tourniquet TKA using aspirin-based prophylaxis with or without extended use of mechanical compression device (MCD) therapy.

METHODS: One hundred limited tourniquet TKA patients, whose DVT risk was managed with aspirin 325 mg twice daily for 3 weeks, were randomized to either using an MCD during hospitalization only or extended use at home up to 6 weeks postoperatively. Lower extremity duplex venous ultrasonography (LEDVU) was completed on the second postoperative day, 14 days postoperatively, and at 3 months postoperatively to confirm the absence of DVT after treatment.

RESULTS: The DVT rate for the postdischarge MCD therapy group was 0% and 23.1% for the inpatient MCD group (P < .001). All DVTs resolved by 3 months postoperatively. Patient satisfaction was 9.56 (±0.82) for postdischarge MCD patients vs 8.50 (±1.46) for inpatient MCD patients (P < .001).

CONCLUSION: Limited tourniquet TKA patients who were mobilized early, managed with aspirin for 3 weeks postoperatively, and on MCD therapy for up to 6 weeks postoperatively experienced superior DVT prophylaxis than patients receiving MCD therapy only as an inpatient (P < .05). The 0% incidence of nonsymptomatic DVTs prevented by aspirin and extended-use MCD further validates this type of prophylaxis in low DVT risk TKA patients.